By IANS
London : Britain has said it will formally recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state following its declaration of independence from Serbia.
“I have written to President (Fatmir) Sejdiu to tell him that Britain will now formally recognise Kosovo as an independent sovereign state,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown told journalists at Downing Street Monday.
The British decision followed a meeting of the European Union (EU) foreign ministers in Brussels during which Britain and several other EU members pledged support to Kosovo’s independence.
The prime minister added that the move would “close the chapter” following the break-up of Yugoslavia and help carry Kosovo to “a prosperous future”.
He said that Britain understood Serbian sensitivities about the issue and remained committed to Serbia’s “European future”.
Kosovo issued its declaration of independence Sunday after nine years under NATO control following the expulsion of Serbian troops in 1999.